State PCS - Bihar (BPSC)

• 03 Dec 2025

Prem Kumar Elected Speaker of Bihar Assembly

Why in News? 

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Prem Kumar was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Bihar Assembly on 2nd December 2025.

Key Points 

• About: Pro-tem Speaker Narendra Narayan Yadav informed the House that Prem Kumar was the only candidate for the post, and he was unanimously elected through a voice vote during the first sitting of the 18th Bihar Assembly. 
  • This is the first unanimous Speaker election since 2015, as the Opposition did not file any nomination due to lack of numbers. 
• Tradition: Following tradition, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav escorted him to the Speaker’s Chair. 
• Experience: Prem Kumar, aged 70, is a seasoned leader, continuously elected from Gaya since 1990 and serving nine terms, including roles as minister and Leader of the Opposition.

Constitutional Provisions Related to Speaker/Deputy Speaker 

• Article 93/178: Appointment of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha/ Legislative Assembly. 
• Article 94/179: Vacation/resignation/removal from the offices of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha/Legislative Assembly. 
• Article 95/180: Power of the Deputy Speaker or other person(s) to perform the duties of the office of or to act as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha/Legislative Assembly. 
• Article 96/181: The Speaker or the Deputy Speaker not to preside while a resolution for his removal from office is under consideration. 
• Article 97/186: Salaries and allowances of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. 

Pro Tem Speaker 

• When the Speaker of the last State Assembly vacates his office immediately before the first meeting of the newly-elected State Assembly, the Governor appoints a member of the State Assembly as the Speaker Pro Tem (usually, the senior most member). 
• The Governor himself administers oath to the Speaker Pro Tem. 
• He/She presides over the first sitting of the newly-elected State Assembly and has all the powers of the Speaker. 
• The main responsibility is to administer oaths to the new members and to enable the House to elect the new Speaker. 
• When the new Speaker is elected by the House, the office of the Speaker Pro Tem ceases to exist. 

Sanchar Saathi App

Why in News? 

The Department of Telecommunications has directed all mobile manufacturers and importers to ensure the Sanchar Saathi mobile application is pre-installed and easily accessible on all devices sold in India. 

• This directive follows a sharp rise in cyber incidents reported to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, from 15.92 lakh in 2023 to 20.41 lakh in 2024, including 1.23 lakh digital-arrest scams. 

Key Points 

• Launch: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) launched the Sanchar Saathi mobile application to protect citizens from identity theft, forged Know Your Customer (KYC) fraud, device theft, and financial cybercrimes. 
• Privacy-First Design: The application functions only with user consent, allows activation or deletion anytime, and adheres to the Information Technology Act 2000 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, ensuring minimal data collection and zero commercial profiling. 
• National Telecom Regulations: The initiative reinforces enforcement of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) rules, particularly the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), by enabling easy reporting of spam, scams, and unsolicited commercial communication. 
• Citizen-Centric Services: Key features include Chakshu for reporting fraud calls/SMS/WhatsApp messages; IMEI tracking and blocking for stolen devices; verification of mobile connections; genuineness checks for mobile handsets; reporting of international calls spoofed as Indian (+91) numbers; and the Know Your Internet Service Provider lookup tool. 
• Significance: Available in Hindi and 21 Indian regional languages on both Android and iOS, it empowers citizen participation (Jan Bhagidari), ensures transparency through public dashboards, and builds nationwide digital trust for safer telecom usage. 
• Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI): The Department of Telecommunications developed the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator, which classifies mobile numbers into Medium, High, or Very High fraud-risk categories, helping banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) service providers prevent losses, already averting ₹475 crore in potential financial fraud. 

Asom Diwas

Why in News? 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the people of Assam on Asom Diwas. 

Key Points 

• Observance: The Assam state government observed Asom Divas (Sukapha Divas) at Nazira in Sivasagar district with grand celebrations. 
  • The event was jointly organised by the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Tai Ahom Development Council. 
  • The celebrations included traditional Ahom rituals, cultural performances, and exhibitions highlighting the Ahom dynasty’s contributions. 
• Commemoration: 2nd December is observed as Asom Divas to mark Chaolung Sukapha’s arrival in Assam in 1228 after crossing the Patkai Hills from present-day Dehong Dai and Jingpo Prefecture in China. 
• Founder: The day honours Sukapha as the founder of the Ahom kingdom, whose ‘Bor Asom’ legacy lasted nearly six centuries until 1826. 
  • The Ahom rulers safeguarded Assam’s identity and territory, repelling multiple Mughal invasions. 
• Origins: He was a Tai prince from the Su (Tiger) clan of the Mao-Shan sub-tribe, originally from Mong Mao in the present-day Dehong Dai and Jingpo region. 
• Governance: His administration set early benchmarks for good governance, political stability, and long-term state-building. 
  • Ahoms created a new state by suppressing the older political system of the bhuiyans (landlords). 
• Society: Ahom society was divided into clans or khels. A khel often controlled several villages. 
• Legacy: Sukapha is remembered as the architect of Assamese identity, known for his unity-driven, inclusive leadership that brought diverse communities together.

Navy Day 2025

Why in News? 

The Indian Navy will celebrate Navy Day 2025 with a large-scale Operational Demonstration at Shangumugham Beach in Thiruvananthapuram on 3rd–4th December 2025. 

• The President of India and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces will attend as the Chief Guest, and the event will be hosted by Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff. 

Key Points

Operational Demonstration 2025 

• Outreach: The celebration continues the Navy’s initiative to organise Navy Day events beyond major naval bases, after earlier editions in Puri and Sindhudurg. 
• Showcase: The Operational Demonstration will exhibit India’s maritime strength through coordinated actions by warships, naval aircraft and submarines. 
• Readiness: The demonstration reinforces the Indian Navy’s theme of being “Combat Ready, Cohesive and Self-Reliant,” committed to protecting India’s maritime interests. 
• Self-Reliance: Indigenously built naval platforms will be highlighted, supporting the national vision of Self-Reliant India and the Make in India initiative. 

Navy Day 

• Commemoration: Navy Day is celebrated on 4^th December to honour India’s decisive naval victory during Operation Trident in the 1971 India–Pakistan War. 
• Strike: During Operation Trident, Indian Navy missile boats successfully hit Pakistani ships, oil facilities and shore defences at Karachi. 
  • The Indian Navy destroyed multiple Pakistani vessels carrying vital war supplies, weakening Pakistan’s operational capability. 
• Airpower: Fighter aircraft from INS Vikrant attacked enemy harbours and airfields at Chittagong and Khulna—strikes that, along with missile attacks on Karachi, played a key role in defeating Pakistani forces in East Pakistan.

Operation Sagar Bandhu

Why in News? 

The Indian Navy launched Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations under Operation Sagar Bandhu in response to Cyclonic Storm Ditwah’s impact in Sri Lanka. 

Key Points 

• Deployment: India dispatched INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and an Indian Air Force C-130J with tents, blankets, food, hygiene kits and tarpaulins to support Sri Lanka. 
• Reassignment: INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri, already in Colombo for the 75th Anniversary International Fleet Review, were reassigned to deliver relief to affected areas. 
• Rescue: Ship-borne helicopters conducted aerial assessment and assisted Search and Rescue operations, rescuing Sri Lankan citizens. 
• Reinforcement: INS Sukanya was deployed to Trincomalee on 1st December 2025 with additional essential supplies to reinforce the relief effort. 
• Commitment: The mission reflects India’s continued humanitarian support to Sri Lanka, consistent with the Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, as seen in past assistance during Cyclone Roanu (2016) and the MV XPress Pearl disaster (2021). 
• India’s Previous Operations:  
  • Operation Maitri in Nepal 
  • Operation Samudra Maitri in Indonesia 
  • Operation Dost in Türkiye and Syria 
• India’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercises : 
  • PANEX-21 with BIMSTEC nations 
  • Samanvay-22 with ASEAN countries

Note: 

• Cyclone Ditwah is a tropical storm that rapidly formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal.  
  • The name Ditwah was contributed by Yemen, following the regional naming system for North Indian Ocean cyclones. 

India-Maldives Joint Military Exercise

Why in News? 

The 14th edition of Joint Military Exercise EKUVERIN between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force began in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 2^nd December 2025 and will continue until 15^th December 2025. 

Key Points 

• Participation: A 45-member Indian Army contingent from a Garhwal Rifles battalion is training alongside a 45-member Maldives National Defence Force contingent. 
• Meaning: EKUVERIN, derived from the Dhivehi word for “Friends,” reflects the deep bonds of trust and cooperation between India and the Maldives. 
• Tradition: Held alternately in both countries since 2009, the exercise is a key element of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy. 
• Training: Troops will conduct joint counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism training across jungle, semi-urban and coastal terrain. 
• Synergy: The exercise includes joint mission planning, tactical drills and exchange of best practices to build coordinated operational responses. 
• Interoperability: The aim is to improve interoperability and enhance operational synergy between the two forces. 
• Stability: The exercise reflects the growing defence cooperation and mutual commitment of India and the Maldives towards regional peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region.